Working on title alone, and as a former design consultant for my stepdad’s furniture store, I’m going to have to go with "The Big-Ass Book of Home Decor." Going by sheer necessity, and the state of my crabgrass-mottled lawn and unplanted, weed-straddled vegetable garden, I should probably check out "The Garden Primer" ASAP.
Homeownership: Books on how to buy, improve, green
By The Associated Press
A home is one of the biggest investments you'll make, so it's natural that you want to read up on how to get the most for your money.
To mark home buying season, we look at some titles that help do just that. The books include guides on buying your first home, rating green home projects and sprucing up your living space.
Here's a look at some titles for current and prospective homeowners:
To mark home buying season, we look at some titles that help do just that. The books include guides on buying your first home, rating green home projects and sprucing up your living space.
Here's a look at some titles for current and prospective homeowners:
TITLE: Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home (2nd Edition)
AUTHOR: Ilona Bray, Alayna Schroeder, Marcia Stewart
PRICE: $24.99 (paperback)
SUMMARY: The authors open by making the case for why you should invest in your own home. They then review the tax benefits and walk readers through the necessary first steps to assess their finances. The 380-page book then moves on to the nitty gritty of finding the right mortgage provider and real estate agent — even, including forms to help interview candidates and a CD-ROM of additional materials. Readers will find a range of very practical tips. For example, how to dress and present yourself as you search ("A lot of bling or overdress means the seller or agent will think you can afford full price"). There are also ideas for how to keep your housing search organized.
QUOTE: "Check out your finances with a professional even before you think you're ready to buy. Most people who don't own a home don't think they can. They think they won't qualify."
PUBLISHER: Nolo
— David Pitt
AUTHOR: Ilona Bray, Alayna Schroeder, Marcia Stewart
PRICE: $24.99 (paperback)
SUMMARY: The authors open by making the case for why you should invest in your own home. They then review the tax benefits and walk readers through the necessary first steps to assess their finances. The 380-page book then moves on to the nitty gritty of finding the right mortgage provider and real estate agent — even, including forms to help interview candidates and a CD-ROM of additional materials. Readers will find a range of very practical tips. For example, how to dress and present yourself as you search ("A lot of bling or overdress means the seller or agent will think you can afford full price"). There are also ideas for how to keep your housing search organized.
QUOTE: "Check out your finances with a professional even before you think you're ready to buy. Most people who don't own a home don't think they can. They think they won't qualify."
PUBLISHER: Nolo
— David Pitt
TITLE: Home Improvement 1-2-3
AUTHOR: The Home Depot
PRICE: $34.95
SUMMARY: If you've got basic do-it-yourself ability and a desire to do more, Home Depot's illustrated 607-page book should be useful and covers just about every topic you might be interested in, from accent lighting to wood rot. This encyclopedic book is broken down into sections that provide detailed coverage of the more common projects and techniques, such as doors and windows; cabinets, countertops and storage; plumbing, and electrical. The authors rate the skill level of each project on a scale of five; replacing cabinet hardware gets a 1, adding a closet a 5. Completion time is estimated at three levels — experienced, handy and novice. And the materials and tools needed are provided at the beginning of every project.
QUOTE: "There's no magic in home improvement: just a willingness to give it a try; a desire to learn how things work so you can fix them; and, finally, taking pride in what you can accomplish with a little elbow grease and good advice."
PUBLISHER: Meredith Books
— Dave Carpenter
AUTHOR: The Home Depot
PRICE: $34.95
SUMMARY: If you've got basic do-it-yourself ability and a desire to do more, Home Depot's illustrated 607-page book should be useful and covers just about every topic you might be interested in, from accent lighting to wood rot. This encyclopedic book is broken down into sections that provide detailed coverage of the more common projects and techniques, such as doors and windows; cabinets, countertops and storage; plumbing, and electrical. The authors rate the skill level of each project on a scale of five; replacing cabinet hardware gets a 1, adding a closet a 5. Completion time is estimated at three levels — experienced, handy and novice. And the materials and tools needed are provided at the beginning of every project.
QUOTE: "There's no magic in home improvement: just a willingness to give it a try; a desire to learn how things work so you can fix them; and, finally, taking pride in what you can accomplish with a little elbow grease and good advice."
PUBLISHER: Meredith Books
— Dave Carpenter
TITLE: Green Sense For the Home: Rating the Real Payoff from 50 Green Home Projects
AUTHOR: Eric Corey Freed and Kevin Daum
PRICE: $21.95 (paperback)
SUMMARY: The authors take a sort of "good cop, bad cop" approach as they examine everything from helping your toilet use less water, to installing a green roof. Freed is the real green believer, and tells readers why green projects are good ideas, and walks them through how to complete them properly. Daum represents the bottom-line watchdog, making sure readers understand how much money a project will cost and how much they can expect to save. The book divides green projects into three groups: Those that can be done right away, those that need a bit more prep work, and more complex tasks like building a green house from the ground up.
QUOTE: "Together, we want to empower you to make green choices based on the affordability of the projects and the potential cost savings, with full knowledge of the ethical and financial benefits of each."
PUBLISHER: The Taunton Press
— Alex Veiga
TITLE: Homebuyers Beware: Who's Ripping You Off Now?
AUTHOR: Carolyn Warren
PRICE: $19.99 (paperback)
SUMMARY: It's scary out there. The subprime mortgage crisis exposed the dangers of predatory lending and led banks to raise their credit standards. Although the basic process is the same, homebuyers face tighter credit standards that bring a new set of questions. There are plenty of opportunities for missteps when shopping for a home, so it's easy to be taken advantage of. "Homebuyers Beware" points out potential red flags in a clear and easily accessible way. For instance, one section discusses questionable fees buyers might find among their closing costs.
QUOTE: "Don't call the agent on the sign! If you call the seller's agent, the one listed on the For Sale sign, it's like calling your opponent's attorney. You could easily give out information about yourself, your financing, your price range, and so on that the seller's agent shouldn't know."
PUBLISHER: FT Press
— Trevor Delaney
AUTHOR: Carolyn Warren
PRICE: $19.99 (paperback)
SUMMARY: It's scary out there. The subprime mortgage crisis exposed the dangers of predatory lending and led banks to raise their credit standards. Although the basic process is the same, homebuyers face tighter credit standards that bring a new set of questions. There are plenty of opportunities for missteps when shopping for a home, so it's easy to be taken advantage of. "Homebuyers Beware" points out potential red flags in a clear and easily accessible way. For instance, one section discusses questionable fees buyers might find among their closing costs.
QUOTE: "Don't call the agent on the sign! If you call the seller's agent, the one listed on the For Sale sign, it's like calling your opponent's attorney. You could easily give out information about yourself, your financing, your price range, and so on that the seller's agent shouldn't know."
PUBLISHER: FT Press
— Trevor Delaney
TITLE: The Big-Ass Book of Home Decor
AUTHOR: Mark Montano
PRICE: $22.50 (paperback)
SUMMARY: Reflecting its casual title, this book offers simple art-and-crafts projects that can freshen up a living space. It's likely best for a college student or someone who wants to give their place some personality without spending a lot. Filled with colorful photographs and playful fonts on thick, glossy pages, it resembles a cross between a coffee table and recipe book. Most of the 105 projects are listed on a single page, with a list of what "You'll Need" and a handful of steps describing "Here's How." If you recognize the author pictured at the start of the book, it's because he's appeared on TV as host of TLC's "While You Were Out" and Style Network's "My Celebrity Home."
QUOTE: "Perfection is overrated! That's my motto. I don't want to be perfect and I don't expect anything I make or do to be perfect. I think that would be a tragic bore."
PUBLISHER: Stewart, Tabori & Chang
— Candice Choi
AUTHOR: Mark Montano
PRICE: $22.50 (paperback)
SUMMARY: Reflecting its casual title, this book offers simple art-and-crafts projects that can freshen up a living space. It's likely best for a college student or someone who wants to give their place some personality without spending a lot. Filled with colorful photographs and playful fonts on thick, glossy pages, it resembles a cross between a coffee table and recipe book. Most of the 105 projects are listed on a single page, with a list of what "You'll Need" and a handful of steps describing "Here's How." If you recognize the author pictured at the start of the book, it's because he's appeared on TV as host of TLC's "While You Were Out" and Style Network's "My Celebrity Home."
QUOTE: "Perfection is overrated! That's my motto. I don't want to be perfect and I don't expect anything I make or do to be perfect. I think that would be a tragic bore."
PUBLISHER: Stewart, Tabori & Chang
— Candice Choi
TITLE: The Garden Primer
AUTHOR: Barbara Damrosch
PRICE: $18.95 (paperback)
SUMMARY: "The Garden Primer" is a gardening classic because of its simple format, easy to understand text and comprehensive content. Part how-to, part plant encyclopedia, Barbara Damrosch leads novice and expert gardeners alike from landscape planning to soil preparation to harvest. There's even an entire chapter on lawns.
Damrosch stresses the importance of knowing the space and climate you're working in. With that knowledge you should make your decisions about how and what to plant. Her most helpful passages are those that involve taking care of various plants. She offers detailed descriptions of how much water they need, how to feed them, the likely pests and diseases they face.
QUOTE: "Once you understand what makes plants tick, you'll know what to do to help them grow well."
PUBLISHER: Workman Books
— Eileen AJ Connelly
AUTHOR: Barbara Damrosch
PRICE: $18.95 (paperback)
SUMMARY: "The Garden Primer" is a gardening classic because of its simple format, easy to understand text and comprehensive content. Part how-to, part plant encyclopedia, Barbara Damrosch leads novice and expert gardeners alike from landscape planning to soil preparation to harvest. There's even an entire chapter on lawns.
Damrosch stresses the importance of knowing the space and climate you're working in. With that knowledge you should make your decisions about how and what to plant. Her most helpful passages are those that involve taking care of various plants. She offers detailed descriptions of how much water they need, how to feed them, the likely pests and diseases they face.
QUOTE: "Once you understand what makes plants tick, you'll know what to do to help them grow well."
PUBLISHER: Workman Books
— Eileen AJ Connelly
1 comment:
some time i was confused when i have to do some home repairing that time i felt that i must have some guide book about this so today i choose one of your book that is related to home improvement i will buy it soon.
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